870 Naval Air Squadron
870 Naval Air Squadron RCN | |
---|---|
Latin for 'To intercept and to destroy') | |
Colors | White and blue |
Insignia | |
Squadron badge | Azure issuant from a base barry wavy of three Argent and Azure a winged demi lion Or armed and langued Gules.[1](The design shows a lion rising from the water by means of wings and assuming a fighting posture.) |
Squadron code | BC (May 1951–June 1952)[2] |
870 Naval Air Squadron (870 NAS), also known as VF-870, was a squadron of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). It was formed when 803 Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy was renumbered to 870 NAS on 1 May 1951. It operated throughout the 1950s and early 1960s before disbanding on 7 September 1962. It was the first RCN squadron to operate jet aircraft.[3]
History
870 Naval Air Squadron was formed on 1 May 1951 when
VF-870 reformed on 1 November 1955, this time equipped with 10
On 16 March 1959, VF-871 amalgamated with VF-870 thus leaving the Squadron as the only RCN unit to operate the Banshee.[4] The Squadron made its final deployment on HMCS Bonaventure on 9 April 1962, lasting until 29 June 1962.[5] While not deployed, VF-870 flew intercepts in the Canadian sector of NORAD.[3][8] VF-870 disbanded for the last time on 7 September 1962. Throughout its service, the Royal Canadian Navy lost 12 of the 39 Banshees it had purchased, including those of VF-870.[11] A replacement for the Banshee never came to fruition making VF-870 one of only three RCN squadrons to ever operate a jet fighter.[3][9]
Aircraft operated
Aircraft operated included:[5]
- Hawker Sea Fury FB.11 (1 May 1951–30 Mar 1954)
- McDonnell F2H-3 Banshee(1 Nov 1955–7 Sep 1962)
Commanding officers
Commanding officers included:[5]
- Lieutenant-Commander D. D. Peacocke (May 1951–Feb 1953)
- Lieutenant-Commander D. M. Macleod (Feb 1953–Apr 1954)
- Lieutenant-Commander R. H. Falls (Nov 1955–Dec 1957)
- Lieutenant-Commander W. J. Walton (Jan 1958–Apr 1960)
- Lieutenant-Commander K. S. Nicolson (Apr 1960–Sep 1962)
References
- ^ a b "Volume 4: Operational Flying Squadrons". National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
- ^ Walker, R. W. R. "Canadian Military Aircraft – Serial Numbers – Royal Canadian Navy – 1945 to 1968". Canadian Military Aircraft Serial Numbers. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
- ^ a b c d e Forsyth, Bruce. "The rise and fall of the Royal Canadian Navy's Fleet Air Arm". Canadian Military History. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
- ^ a b "870 Fighter Squadron". Government of Canada. 4 April 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g "870 Naval Air Squadron". www.wings-aviation.ch. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
- ^ "870 Squadron (Canada)". Fleet Air Arm Archive (Archived). Archived from the original on 7 January 2018. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b c Bourdon, Buzz (9 December 2009). "Admiral Falls 'trained for war, acted for peace'". The Global and Mail. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
- ^ a b "McDonnell Banshee". Shearwater Aviation Museum. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
- ^ a b "McDonnell Banshee". Royal Canadian Air Force. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
- OCLC 460555.
- ^ Cook, D. Glenn. "Aircraft on display: McDonnell F2H-3 Banshee 126464 (Archived)" (PDF). Canada Aviation and Space Museum. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 March 2008. Retrieved 8 December 2018.